The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-12-23
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
Something About the Congressional
Record Told by Mr.. Reed.
Mr.. Blaine Against President cIeve-
land and His Platform.
Live Topics and Interesting Happen
tings from the Capital City.
Especial to the Press.l

ft0E-o tTOftt tttC Sdkttat 9thyr
Especial to the Pressl
WASHINGTON, Dec. 22-The statement is made
today that the committee on rules is considering a
proposition TO do away with the Congresslonai
Record The proposition has not been made di
rctly but has come unoflicially from an outsider,
1t is said but is being considered with good deal
of favor There is one thing certain; this is that
the Name member Of the.rules committee, Thomas
b. Reed, will be Overwhelmingly in favor of it, He
has spoken again and again about abolishing the
Record. "Then," says he, "we shall have com
plete reports of the doings of Congress-" Mr..
Reed complained that the Associated Press
which ought to make business of handling the
Congressional reports, does not half do its duty,
and the correspondents attention is devoted to
other matters, his orders being to leave the re-
porting Of the debates to the Associated Press.
Mr.. Reed is an important as well as an experience
ed member of the committee on rules, and perhaps
through his efforts we shall see proposition to
do away with this dumping-ground for undeiyered
speech es when the rules committee comes to. re-
port to Congress. But it is highly doubtful If any
such report as urged the abolition of the Record
would pass The members Eare altogether too
fond of getting their talk before the public in
that way, and the country will probably have to
suffer from its continuance.
The Republicans now see with delight just what
they have so long desired The Democrats have
come in with tariff bill which exactly carries out
the free trade doctrine outlined In the Presidents
message. The bill is drawn so as to cut the Gus
toms duties and there is not hint OF internal
revenue reduction in either its length or breadth
The grand scramble of the recess is now TO haul
as many of the men that Randall holds into line,
asspossible. The work will far from easy. The
bill itself sets the ex-Speaker off at as much Of
tangent as he ever showed before. 1t is tinkering
with the industrial schedule, as he terms it, and
he will not endure that. Furthermore the lack OF
mention of tobacco crowds the Virginia and South
Carolina folks into disagreeable quarters, and
they will be very ready to step out and join the
other side unless something is done for them.
Virginia man, and Democrat told New Eng
land colleague the other day, privately, that he
felt sure that if Blaine were nominated on his
platform and Cleveland on his for 1888, Virginia
would give sc, 900 Republican majority.
Mr.. Randall himself will probably have a scheme
of revenue reduction by the time the holidays are
finished His plan of division will probably help
the reduction between the tariff and internal rev
enue taxes. Tobacco, domestic sundries and
rebate on whskey will probably be included in
the internal alf of his schedule. Sugar does not
come into his tariff calculations any more than
into Carlisle's. What he claims to desire to ac-
compsh is to enlarge the free list so as to aid the
manufacturers. Free coal from Canada is men,
toned as one of the prominent features. There
is Nova Scotia in this. The producers here say
that to let in coal from the Dominion free would
admit not exceeding 100000 to 100000 tons
year to New England, and would greatly benefit
New England manufacturers. 1t is urged tnat
the Canadian coal duty is reciprocity matter and
then {, 100000 tons of our coal would at once go
to Canada.
Senator Frye brought forward an elaborate
scheme for bureau of commercial statistics, to
cover the collection and classification of matters
now scattered among several bureaus. 1t pro-
vides for commissioner and deputy commits.
sioner. Six reports year are demanded
IAN annual report, embracing the statistics
of the commerce and navigation of the country,
with statistics in regard to the merchant tonnage
of the United States; that is to say, the number
and tonnage of merchant vessels belonging to
each customs district, and other particulars In re-
AN annual report on the internal commerce
of the country, which shall be devoted to the in-
dustral, commercial and transportation interests
3.-An annual statistical abstract of the United
States, containing in condensed ana succlnct
tabular tform information to the growth and
progress of the trade, commerce, navigation,
finance, manufactures, postal service, population,
ID,
other leading interests of the country, collated
and prepared from the reports published by the
various psea absrat 81 81 foren countries
containing in condensed tabular form information
showing the progress of foreign nations in trade,
navigation finance population, and SO FORTH pre-
pared from the various statistical publications OF
foreign governments.
values of the Imports into and exports from the
United States.
valn of the imDorfS and exports of the United
States of the exports Of cotton and breadstufs Of
provisions and dairy products, of petroleum.
Receptions at the White House.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 22.-The President will re-
ceivejNewIYear's,day, Jan. ID From IL O'Clock
until 12.40, prominent officials, army and navy Of
fcers, members of the diplomatic corps, justices,
congressman and members OF various ass0cla
tions of army veterans will be received. AT IL 40
the reception of citizens will commence. The
President will be assisted by Mrs. Cleveland, and
Mrs. Cieyeland's Saturday afternoon receptions
from until 5, begin Saturday, Jan. 7th, and con-
tinue on alternate Saturdays through the season.
why Carlisle Waited.
Speaker Carlisle did not announce the commit
tees, he expected to have ready. today IL was his
desire to do so in the interest of business but he
was strongly advised against it upon the grounds
that If he did there would be rush by those
members not satisfied and he would find it very
difficult to construct the rest of his committees.
The Original Package Bill.
Senator Frye has introduced a bill in the Senate
which, if passed, will prevent the sale of import
ed liquors in original packages in prohibitory
States 1t provides that the laws of the States
relating to the sale of distilled or fermented
LIQUORS within the limits OF such states may apply
TO such liquors when the same have been import
ed in the same manner as when tney nave Deen
manufactured in the United States
r.. Ho.-aha~ Rivov
uRepresentatives Milliken andDingley visited the
War Department recently to learn the condition
of the measures instituted during the last Con-
gress to improve the Kennebec river An exam
mation of the river was made, but no report OF
survey has been filed in the department.
Mr.. Milken secured the insertion OF pro-
vision in the last river and harbor bill, making an
appropriation for a survey OF the river from Au.
gusta to Bath inclusive, but as the bill received
the pocket veto of the President, this provision
was defeat ed with the other provisions OF the
bill.
Ii is now probable that new provision win have
to be made for a survey OF the river, and an ONO
ial estimate made Of the cost OF the contemplated
Improvement before an appropriation can be Sc
~ This w N Mgeo aHgea and mh pngy a and
there is no doubt as. to the ultimate success OF
their efforts in this direction.
Happy Maine Pensioners.
The following pensions were awarded to resi-
dents of Maine today:
ORIGINAL.
Albert H. Davis West Newfeld.
j. r. Webb, Skowhegan.
INCREASE.
John Thornton, Foxcroft.
Nehemiah Littleheld, Monroe.s
REISSUE.
Lewis b. Morse, Searsmont.
RESTORATION AND REISSUE.
Hiram Merchant, Hancock Point.
Maine Congressman.
Mr. Dingley is the only one of the Maine delega-
CATION who now contemplates going home during
the holiday recess Senator and Mrs. Frye, to-
getber with Representatives Reed, Dingley and
Boutele and families, are d0mlcied at the Ham,
ilton House for the winter. Senator Hale, during
the absence in Europe OF Mrs. Hale and their three
sturdy youngsters is living in bachelor quarters.
Representative Milliken has taken apartments on
Fourteenth street, adjoining the Hamilton, where
he will lie Joined by Mrs. Milliken and his daugh-
ter, Miss Maude Milliken after the holidays.
the Ways and Means Committee.
The following House committee on ways and
means has been announced: Mills of Texas, chair
man; Mcmillan of Tennessee, Breckenridge of